The decontamination glove of the French army which is part of the individual soldier's equipment and whose active element is constituted by an absorbing powder of diatomic earth, fuller's earth, or other cleaning clay, has three main disadvantages:
The first is the fact that its use (done by patting with the glove on any contaminated clothing surface) inherently forms around the soldier a cloud of powder full of the toxic agent that it has absorbed and that can be carried away by wind or a simple breeze relatively long distances where it can contaminate clean locations.
The second is that is that its use for decontaminating a gas mask as well as the other equipment of the soldier, in particular his rifle, is not very reliable. In effect on the one hand access to certain contaminated surfaces is difficult if not impossible because of the shape of the glove (lack of suppleness because it is too thick) and on the other hand there is not only the possibility of scratching transparent surfaces (visor or eye-pieces) but also the risk of depositing the earth impregnated with the toxic agent in the screwthreads and other cavities where it can be held.
Finally, the third disadvantage, which is not the least, is that a powder, whatever it be made of, not only does not destroy the toxic agent that it absorbs but can also under certain circumstances release it which then presents a certain danger to the environment.
The term "decontamination" glove for this type of product is therefore an incorrect name in the sense that it designates a function that it does not completely fulfill.